


The Birthday Present

by unwillingadventurer



Category: Doctor Who (1963), Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Special Guest - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-18
Updated: 2020-08-18
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:08:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,113
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25970344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unwillingadventurer/pseuds/unwillingadventurer
Summary: Ian's gift for Barbara has quite the reaction.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 5





	The Birthday Present

Creeping into their bedroom, carrying a breakfast tray, Ian set the tray onto the side cabinet when he reached the bed. Barbara was just stirring and she yawned as she looked up at him with bleary-eyes. She attempted to flatten her unruly hair.

“Oh, Ian, I didn’t hear you get up.” She watched as her husband then put the tray next to her and she smiled at the sight of tea, toast and a boiled egg. There was also a present wrapped in brown paper and topped with a bow, perched on the edge of the tray.

“Happy Birthday, Barbara,” Ian said, grinning and giving her a kiss on top the head.

He sat down next to her, grabbed one of the toast soldiers and nibbled the end.

Barbara swatted him away. “Ian, stop eating my birthday breakfast.”

“Sorry.” He pushed the gift toward her gently.

“I suppose you want me to open this now what with those ever so subtle hints?”

“Go on!”

Barbara pushed the tray toward Ian and then unwrapped the brown paper, pulling out a book from inside. Ian watched with anticipation. He’d always enjoyed birthdays with Barbara and they’d had more than ten of them with each other so far, always hoping for many more together.

There was a moment’s silence as Barbara stared at the book in her hands.

“Barbara?”

“I’m sorry, Ian, I’m a little upset.”

“You don’t like it?”

“No, no, I love it, Ian, I’m just flabbergasted, that’s all.”

He scratched his chin, perplexed. “Well it’s only a history book, Barbara, I mean, I heard good things and thought you might like a peruse but I never thought I’d get this kind of reaction.”

“You don’t understand, Ian. This isn’t just a history book. I had a book just like this when I was a girl. My father gave it to me. It was my first taste of how wonderful and cruel history was. It made me want to be an historian. I’d lie awake at night with my little torch under the covers, reading away, supposed to be asleep.”

“Makes my pirate adventure stories seem a little shallow!”

“Oh no, Ian, there’s nothing shallow about childhood adventures.”

“So, it’s the same book?”

“It’s so hard to find, Ian, I’ve tried for years. Out of print. No book shop ever had it when I inquired and mine was lost years ago when we moved from Bedfordshire to London. I always hoped and dreamed and never…” she threw her arms around Ian. “Thank you for finding this, Ian. It’s the best present I could’ve asked for.”

Still in her arms, he rubbed her back and smiled. “Barbara, honestly I didn’t do much. Wish I could take the credit but I was just in an old book shop and this woman, very friendly, gave me it.”

“Really?”

…

“Excuse me?” Ian asked the young blonde woman who was loitering by the history bookshelves. “Do you work here?”

The woman looked behind her. “Oh, you mean me? Do I work here? Why not? Yeah, how can I help?”

Ian held some books in his hands, a couple of science journals and two history books, one about Asian history the other Ancient Egypt. “My wife is a history buff. Do you recommend either of these for a very knowledgeable woman?”

The woman glanced them over. “These are fine but if you want something that will really be special, what about this?” She pulled out a large old red book from behind her that was covered in dust. She blew the dust away and grinned. “That’s better.”

Ian glanced at it. He’d looked at all the shelves and hadn’t remembered seeing anything quite so old looking, quite so big and grand. “What’s it about?”

“The history of everything, Ian.”

“Sounds good. How much is it?”

“It’s free.”

“Beg your pardon, nothings free?”

“It’s free with another purchase. Buy that one you’ve got in your hands about science and I’ll give you this one.”

Looking at her suspiciously, he agreed, bought the book and collected the history one. “Thank you,” he said but when he looked up, she was gone. “What the?” He ran out of the shop, looked down the road and saw no trace.

The shop keeper appeared beside him. “Are you alright?”

“What happened to your assistant?”

“What assistant? I’m here alone.”

Ian stared dumbfounded and laughed nervously. “Never mind. My mistake. Goodbye.” He had attempted to move but his legs wouldn’t budge. He was frozen to the spot. She had called him Ian!

…

“How mysterious,” Barbara said, sitting up excitedly and turning the pages of the book she’d long since forgotten. It felt the same between her fingers and she’d certainly not remembered how heavy it was. The old smell was still there too and the pages were crispy and stained with time.

“She knew exactly what book you’d want and she was right. Incredible.”

“I wonder who she was?”

“Don’t know but she knows you even better than I do!”

Barbara rubbed his hand. “No one knows me better than you.” She flicked through the last pages and then noticed some writing in the back. She stopped. She stared. Her eyes filled with tears. “It’s inscribed.”

“Oh, it’s not is it?” Ian moaned. “Not some sappy writing for some stranger we’ve never heard of?”

“No, Ian, not some stranger, for me.”

“What?” He leaned over her shoulder and there in blue ink read the message:

‘My little Barbara.

Look to the past to live a happy future. But for now, here’s your present.

Love Daddy.’

“Oh Ian, it’s not just a copy of the book. It’s my book. It’s the one I lost— the one Dad gave me all those years ago.”

“Well I’ll be damned. How on earth did that Northern woman know it was yours?”

They both glanced at each other and then shivered.

“Well, I don’t even care, Ian. I’m just so happy it’s back. I’ll never let it go again.” She held it close to her chest and let the tears stream down her face.

Ian pouted. “Well, I’m glad you enjoy it, Barbara, but I’ve got to say I’m disappointed you haven’t opened your second present yet.”

She wiped a tear away. “What are you talking about?”

He leaned forward, stuck the bow from the gift onto his cardigan and laughed. “I’m ready to be unwrapped.”

“Oh Ian!” she smiled and slapped him playfully on the arm. “Of course, you’ll always be number one.” She looked at the book and smiled. “Well a close second at least.”

Ian laughed, reached down, took another toast soldier and crammed it into his mouth.


End file.
